Chemical Drain Cleaners: Should They be Used on Your Riverside Home?

1/25/2021 (Permalink)

There are some drawback using chemical drain cleaners, be informed!

Are you pouring and flushing the wrong things down your pipes? Have you ever had water damage at your property because water was coming out of your toilets, bathtubs, or sinks?

Most water damage at times is caused due to the fact that a main line got clogged. If it's an indoor blockage, it could have occurred because of heavy materials or objects being flushed down into the drain. Blocked drains are often caused by sanitary products, paper towels or other hard to flush materials which can clog pipes and obstruct drains.

When you pour grease down the drain it sticks to the inside of your pipes and the pipes in the street. This can cause the entire pipe to become clogged over time. Other oil-based products are also dangerous to pour down your drain, such as... cooking oil, salad dressings, butter, mayonnaise, and fat. 

Are Chemical Drain Cleaners the Best Option?

A clogged drain has frustrated residents of homes across Riverside City. The fast and easy solution is to pour a bottle of commercial drain cleaner down the problem drain to clear away the blockage. Do they work? Can they damage your home's pipes? Here are some facts and a few tips on alternatives:

Chemical Drain Cleaners

Widely-used and powerful, chemically-based cleaners (caustic, oxidizing, and acid types) can help open up a partially clogged drain. They work by generating heat to break down a clog until it can be flushed out. However, there are drawbacks to their use:

Alternatives to Chemical Drain Cleaners

There are safer ways to clear blocked drain pipes. Mechanical options include flexible drain snakes or augers. Available in manually-operated, hand-cranked, battery-operated and electric models, this device can successfully clear drains without resorting to calling in a professional.

Enzymatic drain cleaners use bacteria or enzymes to devour organic materials like the hair, soap and food waste that collect and clump in drains. Although this biological option requires more time to clear a clogged drain — typically 24 hours — it's non-toxic and environmentally safe.

There are many home remedies, including the use of clothes hangers, wet/dry household vacuums and various mixtures of natural ingredients like salt, baking soda, vinegar and boiling water. All are effective depending on the severity of the clog.

Whether in the kitchen or bathroom, there are a range of proven solutions to stubborn blocked drains. With mounting concerns about health and the environment, chemical drain cleaners should be the option of last resort.